he bodies of their holy personages. The same belief
is found to have existed in other religions.

349. Q. _What historical incident supports the modern theory of
hypnotic suggestion?_

A. That of Chullapanthaka, as told in the Pali Commentary on the
_Dhammapada_, etc.

350. Q. _Give me the facts._

A. He was a bhikkhu who became an Arhat. On that very day the Buddha
sent a messenger to call him. When the man reached the Vihara, he
saw three hundred bhikkhus in one group, each exactly like the others
in every respect. On his asking which was Chullapanthaka, every one of
the three hundred figures replied: "I am Chullapanthaka."

351. Q. _What did the messenger do?_

A. In his confusion he returned and reported to the Buddha.

352. Q. _What did the Buddha then tell him?_

A. To return to the vihara and, if the same thing happened, to
catch by the arm the _first_ figure who said he was Chullapanthaka and
lead him to him. The Buddha knew that the new Arhat would make this
display of his acquired power to impress illusionary pictures of
himself upon the messenger.

353. Q. _What is this power of illusion called in Pali?_

A. _Manomaya Iddhi_.

354. Q. _Were the illusionary copies of the Arhat's person material?
Were they composed of substance and could they have been felt and
handled by the messenger?_

A. No; they were pictures impressed by his thought and trained
will-power upon the messenger's mind.

355. Q. _To what would you compare them?_

A. To a man's reflection in a mirror, being exactly like him yet
without solidity.

356. Q. _To make such an illusion on the messenger's mind, what was
necessary?_

A. That Chullapanthaka should clearly conceive in his own mind his
exact appearance, and then impress that, with as many duplicates or
repetitions as he chose, upon the sensitive brain of the messenger.

357. Q. _What is this process now called?_

A. Hypnotic suggestion.

358. Q. _Could any third party have also seen these illusionary
figures?_

A. That would depend on the will of the Arhat or hypnotiser.

359. Q. _What do you mean?_

A. Supposing that fifty or five hundred persons were there, instead of
one, the Arhat could will that the illusion should be seen by all
alike; or, if he chose, he could will that the messenger should be the
only one to see them.

360. Q. _Is this branch of science well known in our day?_

A. Very well known; it is fami